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For 30 years, LIMRA MarketFacts has been the premier publication for financial services executives worldwide. Our mission is to bring the latest, most pertinent industry information to our readership — whether it is derived from industry research, company best practices, or insightful thought leadership. LIMRA MarketFacts offers unmatched content by inviting authorship from representatives of companies in LIMRA’s vast member roster, as well as from LIMRA’s internal subject matter experts and global thought leaders impacting the financial services arena.

Why is LIMRA MarketFacts different from other industry trade publications? Because we concentrate on developing in-depth, insightful articles devoted to the critical issues of the day impacting financial services industry decision-makers. By blending exclusive perspectives from LIMRA’s renowned research team and marketing experts with the industry’s top thought leadership, LIMRA MarketFacts provides the latest information on how companies can maximize their marketing and distribution effectiveness in an ever-evolving environment.

In these turbulent times, it is imperative that you have access to the best thinking on the forces driving change in the financial services industry. LIMRA MarketFacts is the vehicle that industry executives turn to most for LIMRA’s longstanding brand in research excellence.

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LIMRA MarketFacts

Number 1, 2016

Here, Doug Baker, President and CEO of Teachers Life, shares their story of being an unlikely market disruptor. In seeking out and partnering with world-class technology vendors, they have succeeded in leading their model into the digital age. In the North American industry, Teachers Life became the first insurer to fully underwrite a life insurance product entirely online.

There has been a lot of attention on Actuarial Guideline 49 (AG 49), adopted in 2015 to guide the sales and in-force illustrations used in presentations of IUL contracts. AG 49 introduces many new concepts, and life insurers are still adapting to its requirements. Now the dust has started to settle on some of its provisions and the way carriers will respond. This article reviews the guideline, how companies are taking action, and possible implications for the industry.

In this View From the Top Feature, we talked with Jim Morris, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Life Insurance Company. Here, he shares his perspective on today’s life insurance product landscape, the impact of Actuarial Guideline 49, and what the future may bring for his company and the industry.

Insurers have a role in helping to solve a major gap in retirement security today linked to disability. Traditional defined benefit plans generally protected retirement security in the event of long-term disability. As DB plans were converted to defined contribution plans, this protection was forgotten. Society of Actuaries research tells us that risk awareness generally is low, which further aggravates the problem. We recently discussed this issue with Anna Rappaport, who chairs the Society of Actuaries Committee on Post-Retirement Needs and Risks.

What will it take to move the industry from reluctance to relevance when it comes to social media? After working with leaders in Fortune 100 financial firms across the United States, the authors have identified three major myths standing between traditional approaches and the digital mindset needed to compete in today’s economy.

In this article, John Deremo, Executive Vice President and Chief Distribution Officer, Life Insurance, with AIG Financial Distributors, shares his view that change is both inevitable and necessary. He discusses how, in the life insurance world, product distribution and design must continue to evolve to be most meaningful to consumers across the spectrum of different generations and cultural backgrounds. He believes financial professionals have the potential to continue to be a relevant and appealing part of the distribution mix — especially when they deliver intelligently structured products and demonstrate understanding of what each consumer needs and wants.

In this article, Andrew Martin, President of First Protective Insurance Group, shares his insights on how advisors can succeed with Baby Boomer clients and prospects. He discusses how Boomers’ shift to retirement represents a fundamental change in our industry, and he provides recommendations on how to engage with this important market.

It’s fair to say companies across all industries are obsessed with Millennials. They make up the largest generation since Baby Boomers, and they are now the largest generation in the workforce. This is especially enticing for insurance carriers, as American Millennials will spend $10 trillion over their lifetimes — and everyone wants a share. This article examines their overall financial concerns and their views on life insurance, employee benefits, and retirement products.

This article examines the voluntary benefits billing process from employers’ perspective. It answers questions such as: Are they given an opportunity to discuss billing with carriers up front? Is this interaction important? How popular are consolidated bills? Where do billing issues arise, and how would emploeyrs like their problems addressed?

The contact center is at the core of how the industry interacts with consumers and customers. If it’s not the first point of interaction for clients and prospects, then it’s often the primary one during service. And most executives agree that today’s environment demands an integrated sales, service, and support model that links the contact center with other consumer touchpoints. This article outlines the five key trends driving this new model.

Today’s consumers are empowered in ways they have never been before — from the vast volume of information available at their fingertips to the unprecedented amount of choices they have. For us as an industry, and for individual companies, the opportunities to evolve and grow are with the consumer. This article shares evidence of consumer-centric shifts in the insurance and financial services space and explores people’s channel preferences and practices.

In this article, TIAA’s Senior Managing Director and Head of Institutional Client Services Edward Moslander suggests that a change in mindset is needed in how we think about retirement income. He says it requires a different financial strategy, one the industry has to champion for the long-term well-being of the United States: Instead of urging the public to focus on accumulating savings, financial professionals should help individuals develop a plan based on building a reliable, steady stream of income in retirement.

Here, Remark Group CEO Stephen Collins shares highlights from their recent research with 8,000 insurance consumers across 14 key life markets worldwide. This consumer behavioral trends study in the global life insurance industry underscores the growing disconnect between consumer expectations and established business practices. Their findings demonstrate that consumers’ needs must now drive the insurance landscape in terms of distribution, product design, and brand value.

Investments are an integral part of defined contribution plans — and represent a complex web of designs, vehicles, and options. They are often considered separately from the plan’s recordkeeping and administrative functions, and advisors and consultants highly influence their inclusion on an investment platform. This article examines what advisors look for in investment vehicles and platforms, how they evaluate investment managers, and what they value in specific investment options.

Although the increased demand for female advisors in our industry is strikingly evident, the career opportunity and profession have weak appeal and attraction power for women. To attract and retain them, it is critical that companies make changes to their current recruiting, compensation, career path models, and — most important — corporate culture. In this article, Empire Wealth Strategies CEO Susan Cooper discusses what women are looking for, how to overcome barriers in recruiting, and what some companies are doing to take action.